This invention relates to a tool carrying slide for lathes, adapted to move a working tool along the axis of the lathe, comprising a support for a plurality of tools.
There are known several kinds of supports, or turrets for a plurality of tools for the lathe. Therein, the selection of the tool requires one or more movements of the turret with respect to the slide, whereas during the working the turret must be rigidly connected to the same slide. A kind of turret is rotatable on the slide for selecting the tools, which are mounted therein in predetermined angular positions, radially on its lateral surface or axially on its front surface.
From the U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,891 a known turret of the above kind is normally angularly connected to the slide through a toothed front clutch. The turret is also connected by a screw-and-nut device to an intermediate body, which can be rotated to displace axially the turret for selecting the tool. The angular positions of the turret are defined by a series of grooves on the slide, cooperating with some pawls carried by the turret. A reversible electric motor coaxial with the turret causes at first the rotation of the intermediate body to open the front clutch and thereafter the trailing of the turret for selecting the new tool.
Finally, to close again the front clutch, the intermediate body must be rotated in opposite direction through a predetermined stroke, by reversing the rotation of the electric motor.
This turret is very intricate and expensive to manufacture. In addition it presents the disadvantage that the trailing of the turret by the intermediate body and the reversal of the motion of the intermediate body at the end of the selection cause dangerous shocks of the parts. Furthermore the turret, at the instant of the stop of the rotation, is subject to overcome the angular position, due to the momentum or to the possible unbalanced weight of the tools. Finally the positioning by means of groove and pawls does not allow any possible additional rotation of the turret with respect to the predetermined angular positions.
The technical problem that the invention intends to solve resides in providing a slide wherein the tool carrying rotatable support is of the maximum simplicity and reliability and wherein the above listed disadvantages are removed.